I know it is fun for football fans to hate a player for no reason but it seems that this current Ronaldo Saga is turning into a witch-hunt where the guy can do no right.
Allow me to present the most common accusations aimed at the Madeira born winger.
• He is overrated.....Kaka and Messi are way better players.
• He isn't a leader/He disappears when it matters most
• He is turning his back on Man Utd after all the club did for him.
• My personal favourite: He is a coward for not handing in a transfer request.
Before I begin my analysis, I must say that I am no great fan of Ronaldo but jealousy, envy or sheer prejudice are no criteria for judgement, and if we are going to judge Ronaldo as a footballer and later as a person, it is impossible to refute the facts.
The Facts:
• 181 shots, 109 shots on goal, 31 goals, 7 assists (from 31 Premier League starts)
• 42 goals in all competitions (new club record for a midfielder)
• 65% free kick accuracy – 5 goals (best in the Premier League)
I'm fully aware that these stats cannot stand by themselves but please allow me to dig deeper. On twenty occasions, Ronaldo got the all important first goal. Any football fan knows the importance of the first break-through but I know you are going to argue that these twenty goals may not have resulted in a win but wait! In more than 15 matches, Ronaldo's goals were the difference between a win and a draw/defeat.
I can testify that I watched every single Man Utd game except for the derby defeats to Man City and the draw with Arsenal at the Emirates. Ronaldo was the single most important player in the Man Utd's double-winning season and only the contribution of Rio Ferdinand can even come close. As a footballer, Ronaldo simply was in a class of his own last season. Not even Kaka or Messi should enter the debate.
Now to delve into the gray era: Ronaldo's character. Many football followers have been saying that Ronaldo is turning his back on Man Utd. This statement shows a total misunderstanding of the situation. From the time Ronaldo arrived at Man Utd, it was perfectly clear that he dreamt of playing in Spain. It seems that people think that just because he is successful at Man Utd, he should just give up on his dream and become the next Giggs/Scholes. It is simply unreasonable. A Portuguese player will almost always rate La Liga as his greatest goal. After 5 seasons, in which he has won EVERY SINGLE TROPHY he could possibly win with the club, is it really ludicrous for him to consider a move?
The final stick most people use to assault Ronaldo is that he is a coward for not making his feelings clear and submitting a transfer request. As a true Man Utd fan, I could not be happier with the way Ronaldo is handling his situation. I know you are wondering if I'm crazy but let me explain. For the entire summer, Ronaldo has just given three interviews in which he has deferred the final decision to his club and despite his ambitions has stated that he will be happy to go back to United and perform as before if asked to. Furthermore, the football transfer market works like all commodities markets around the world and prices are controlled by numerous social and economic factors. Right now, Ronaldo has a price tag in excess of fifty millions pounds on his head. Now let's propose that Ronaldo goes to the media and says that he will refuse to play for Man Utd again, like a certain Michael Essien is famous for doing in his transfer saga, then I assure you his price would drop. We could speculate about how much it would drop but it is certain that there would be a reduction.
Recently, people have been bemused by Ronaldo's proclamation that he is a slave. I'm prepared to wager that most people have never actually seen the interview. It is my honour to present the extract:
"You know what I said, what I want and what I would like. I agree with the president of FIFA. Now I have to wait and see but I do not know where I will start the season"
I know the word slave is what caught everyone in Mr.Blatter's interview but did no one realize his main point was that Man Utd should sell. Has anyone even considered that Ronaldo just agrees that he should be allowed to leave? If he really thought he was a slave then why wouldn't he use the word slave in the interview?
I am pretty sure this article will not change the opinion you hold of Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro but at least you can now say you hate him after knowing all the facts.
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